Pneumatic motor.



W. I'. COOPER.

PNBUMATIG MOTOR. AP'PLIOAT'IU FILED AUG. 12, mz.

M. m w

M m l mm 5 w w E F El! llll IIIHIWMIM l i@l IMIIIIII Ik 3M m/PLANo'unAPH cu W. P. COOPER. PNBUMATIG MOTOR.- APPLIOATION NLBD AUG.12,1912.

Patented Apr. 15.1913.-

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. COOPER, or NORWALK, OHIO.

PNEUMATIC MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.'

Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

Application filed August 12, 1912. Serial No. 714,607.

tion.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inpneumatic motors and particularlythat type which are employed inconnection withy pneumaticallyoperated self-playing pianos and likekeyed instruments, the primary object of the press ent invention beingto provide a motor of the requisite power of such construction that thesame will be comparatively flat, or in other words, have a relativelynarrow width so that the same will occupy a correspondingly narrow spacewithin the instrument to which the player mechanism is applied. l

A further object of the invention is to simplify the construction andincrease the effectiveness of motors of this type by providing animproved arrangement of the pneumatics and valves, together with animproved construction of motor base readily separable so that access maybe had to any of the parts desired for repairs or other purposes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide 1n a motor havinga wood slide face for the valves to work upon, a nonwarpable metal baseto hold the wood slide face true, and prevent any twisting or othermovement in such slide faceas would interfere with the free and easyworking of the slide valves. y,

A still further object is to provide an improved arrangement in motorsof this type of the pneumatic arms connecting the crank shaft with theslide valves whereby the dimensions of the motor are maintained with ina comparatively small compass.

Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will behereinafter more fully described and then claimed and in describing thein` vention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification and wherein like numerals`of reference will be employed to designate like parts throughout theseveral views, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a motor inaccordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same withthe supporting straps thereof in section.' Fig. 3 is a transversevertical sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 1, the' slide valve andsupporting strap however being in side elevation. Fig. l is a View inplan of the removable section or back of the motor base, showing theinner face of such section, and channels provided therein, and, Fig. 5is an underneath plan view of the motor with the section or back shownin Fig. 3 removed.

It is very desirable in installing playermechanisms in pianos or otherkeyed-instruments that the mechanism be such that installation may bemade without alteration provided, and to such type of player my improvedmotor is particularly adapted, though not confined to use with such typeof player. Also, I do not confine myself to a motor of a four-point typewhich specific type has been arbitrarilychosen for illus- It isessentrative purposes, since obviously a motor of the same principle butof a greater point type would be within the scope of my in vention. 4Themotor used with the player mechanism of the type referred to in abovementioned Patent #833,026, lies in a at horizontal position under thekey board of the instrument and obviously it is desirable that the motorbe as flat as possible and also of the least possible thickness. Theprinciples of operation of motors of this type are well known to thoseskilled in the art. It is also well known that practically all motors ofthis type employ motor pneumatics and slide valves, many of the priordevices having the valves operating to shut Off the embodying that typeof motor in which the slide valves operate to shut olf the air from eachend, I provide a base comprising two members, one of which I will hereinterm the face-member designated 10 which is made of wood, and the otherof which members will be herein termed the lower back or base memberdesignated 11 formed of nonwarpable material and has channels cored outin the same. The face-member 10 carries the motor pneumatics 12 whichare of the usual and well known construction, and which may be securedto the front or upper face of said face-member in any desired manner,for instance, as shown by screws 14 passed through the face-member, andinto the backs of the motor pneumatics (Fig. 5). While the motorpneumatics are of the usual construction, their arrangement or mountingon the face-member is, so far as I am aware, new, and with a four-pointtype of motor as shown, these pneumatics are placed two close togetherat the center of the face-mem` ber and one at or near each end, thisarrangement providing what I term two center pneumatics, and two outsidepneumatics, slide valves 15 being mounted between the center and theoutside pneumatics. Said valves are preferably formed of glass andoperate upon the wood face-member 10 as disclosed in Lett-ers Patent#1,028,863, slide valves for motors, granted to E. l?. Chase and myselfJune 11, 1912, the slide valves and the motor pneumatics being mountedon the same side or face of the face-member 10. Said valves 15reciprocate on the face of the face-member 10 in suitable guides 16provided therefor. The face member 10 is pro vided for each slide valvewith the upper inlet port 17 and the lower inlet ports 18. Also lwiththe exhaust ports 19 located midway between each pair of ports 17-18,and constantly covered by the slide valves 15. Each bellows or pneumatic12 exhausts through ports 2O in the face member, those for the centerpneumat-ics being located near the upper edge of the board and' theexhaust ports for the outside pneumatics being located near the loweredge of the board or face member 10 for a purpose as will more fullyappear hereinafter.

The lower or base member 11 of the motor base or body, is, preferablyformed of cast metal. It is firmly secured against t-he under face ofthe face-member in any suitable manner as by screws which enter openingsprovided therefor in both the said lower member and in the face-member10. The lower member is made air-tight in any suitable manner preferablyby the interposition of a sheet 21 of suitable material between the twomembers, such sheet being provided with ports 17 to 20 as in the faceplate 10.

This lower member 11 is cored to provide the main exhaust channel 22which at one end communicates'with the integral exhaust conduit 23connected in any suitable manner (not shown) with the controller box(not shown) of a player mechanism. In the lower member 11, there areprovided channels 24, one for each port 18 and the ports 20 for eachoutside pneumatic, and channels 25 are also provided, one for each port17 and the ports 2O for the center pneumatics. The coring of theback-member provides the walls 2G which separate the different channelsin the said back-member through which walls the securing screws areinserted, the walls being flat-faced so as to effect a perfect air-tightlit with the face-member 10. The hangers or supporting straps 27 bymeans of which the motor is supported in position are preferably securedto the back member 11 as shown, and in practice, these brackets areattached to the top action rail (not shown) of the player action. One ofsaid brackets in practice, carries an angle arm 28 constituting asupport for the lead tubes (not shown) of the player action, so as tohold such tubes from the motor crank wire.

The pneumatics are operated by a specially constructed crank shaft orwire 29, suitably journaled beyond the expansion end of the pneumatics,as by providing arms 30 at the corners of the motor base, said armshaving projecting journal lugs 31 in which the crank shaft or wire isreceived. This crank shaft or wire is provided with a crank for eachpneumatic employed in the motor, the cranks being so disposed that atleast one pneumatic is expanding when one or more than one of theremaining pneumatics are collapsing. Each crank carries a roller 32preferably of felt or like wear-resisting but durable material, held intheir positions on the cranks by collars 33 on said cranks at each endof the rollers. The cranks for the two outside pneumatics are relativelynarrow, while the cranks for the two center pneumatics are relativelylong, since the connecting rods 34 for the slide valves are alsoattached to these two longer cranks. These connecting rods at theirouter ends are loosely sleeved on the cranks and at their inner endssuitably connected to the slide valves as by a spring clip 35 or in anyother suitable manner. Collars 36 on the cranks retain the rods 34positioned. The pneumatics are expanded by the rollers 32 coming intoengagement with the arms 37 one of which is carried by each pneumatic atthe wide or expanding end thereof.

I find it advantageous, though not essential, to provide the crank wirewith a balance 38, as it materially improves the running of the motor onlight pressure and particularly so on high speed as it counterbalancesthe weight of the connecting rods 34, etc., and also balances the unevendistribution of weight in the crank wire.

The general operation of motors of this type is well understood by thoseskilled in the art, the motor being driven in a suitable manner, and airbeing admitted t-hrough both ports 17 and 18 as the slide valvesalternately uncover these ports, the air being exhausted from the motorthrough the various channels and ports of a player mechanism until itreaches the main bellows of the player mechanism and is passed outthrough the feeders or pumps.

By the construction above described, I am enabled to maintain the motorwithin a relatively narrow compass, by reason of the location of t-heslide valves between the center and the outside pneumatics and upon thesame side of the channel base as the pneu matics. In addition to this,the crank wire or shaft having certain of its cranks serving the doublepurpose of connections for the rods 34 and as cranks for expanding thepneumatics obviates providing additional cranks on the shaft andmaterially simplifies the construction.

I desire to call `particular attention to the construction of the motorbody embodying a metal base and a wood slide face, as in practice I havefound that the metal base is of suflicient strength to eifectually Aholdthe wood slide face against twisting or moving in any manner which isvitally essential to proper working of motors of this type. This isparticularly true when using a vitreous slide valve on a wood base asset forth in Patent 1,028,863 above referred to.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a pneumatic motor, a face member and aback member secured thereto, said back member providedwith channels andan outlet port leading from one of said channels and said face memberhaving ports, combined with pneumatics carried by the slide valvesoperating on the same face of ,Y

said motor base.

4. In pneumatic motors, a motor base, pneumatics on one side of saidbase, slide valves on the same side of the base, certain of thepneumatics being spaced to provide for the slide valvesoperatingtherebetween, and means for operating the slide valves andexpanding the pneumatics.

5. In pneumatic motors, a motor base, a plurality of pneumatics on oneside thereof, a plurality of slide valves controlling the admission ofair to the motor, said valves on the same side of the motor base as thepneumatics, and means for operating said slide valves.

6. In pneumatic motors, a motor base, pneumatics on one side of thebase, slide valves controlling the admission of air to the motor, saidvalves on the same side of the motor base'as the pneumatics and arrangedbet-ween adjacent pneumatics, and means for operating the slide valvesand expanding the pneumatics.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM F. COOPER.

IVitnesses: i

E. O. BoUoHToN, BEN B. WICKHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

